MS Office desktop icons move after I modify and save them.

Anonymous
2010-02-25T23:36:10+00:00

My MS word and excel documents that I have on the upper right hand area of my desktop move after I modify and save them.  If I open them and don't save them nothing happens, but if I modify and save them, they move to the far left aligned with other icons.  They do not appear to be temp or hidden files.  They just move to the far left arranged with other icons.  I want to modify and save them and the files to stay in the upper right hand area...  Help???

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Anonymous
2010-02-26T17:12:02+00:00

Turn off the “Auto Arrange” option for icons on the desktop, and then place icons on the desktop where you want them.

To turnoff the “Auto Arrange” feature,

For windows 7:

Right click a blank area on the desktop and select View and uncheck Auto arrange icons.

For Windows XP:

Right-click a blank area on the desktop, and then click Arrange Icons. Click the command that indicates how you want to arrange the icons (by Name, by Type, and so on), uncheck Auto Arrange.

Niranjan I K Microsoft Answers Support Engineer.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-03-13T16:45:25+00:00

    I've had the same irrating issue ever since I got a new Windows 7 computer a year ago.  To get around it, I did the suggestion here, I moved the actual excel file to another folder and made a shortcut for the desktop to the file.  For some reason when you save the document it moves the actual document on the desktop but not the shortcut.  Still, BS while this may work why can't MS address the issue in the first place.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-12-24T18:29:55+00:00

    I think I am having the same/similar problem. I have a feeling the I am not the only one but will attempt to be very clear in my post.  Let me fist tell you what I know about my OS.

    First, I have brand new (Win 7) on a brand new laptop so no updates should be needed. 

    Second, I know exactly what the "auto-arrange" and the "align icons" features do and what they are for. These have nothing to do with my issue as I have changed the settings just in case they are affecting me. It is not a "sort" problem either.

    Third, it is not a "hidden file" issue either. I have checked an un-check this type of option and as you will read later that my problem happens during the simplest of actions.

    Here are the details in the easiest of scenarios as possible:::::

    I like to arrange the icons on my desktop wherever I want them. For example, lets say they are either excel or word files. I put all my employment files bunched together in the upper right hand corner and all graduate class files in the bottom right corner. I can log off/shut down/power up/put to sleep (and alike) as many times as I want (20-30....50) and when I power back up, the icons are exactly where the were before. (again, no align to grid or auto arrange is in effect... it is as some might say, a VERY messy desktop).

    ISSUE: I open one of the excel files that is placed in the upper right hand corner of the desktop (example) and make a change to the document (could be as easy as entering a number in one cell), hitting "save" and closing the document. The icon for that document is NO LONGER in the upper right have corner of the desktop and is instead somewhere on the far left of the desktop wherever and however windows decided to place it. It has NO "~" associated as it is NOT a copy or hidden file.

    If I open a file from the upper right corner but make no change and do not save, close, the icon STAYS in the upper right corner of the desktop. 

    It is driving me crazy as I like to know where all my icons are. Similar to a messy desk in an office but the person sitting at the desk knows "exactly where everything is.

    I have been using all sorts of windows products for years and years. The only thing different is this is the first time I am am using my version of office 2003 on a newer OS like WIN 7. PLEASE do not say that THIS is the problem unless you are SURE that this might be the problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-22T01:57:22+00:00

    I have this issue as well.  Turning off auto-arrange does not solve this issue.

    Be well,

    -Brian

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-10-04T08:46:34+00:00

    Still none of these make a difference and for me I have two machines running windows 7. only one has this problem and its annoying. only when modifying and saving a msoffice doc do they move

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